122 Beautiful Shells. 



yard of tlie ship, and had suckers as large as 

 ladles ; the rescued sailor was so horrified by the 

 monster that he died delirious a few hours after. 

 An account is also given of another crew who 

 were similarly attacked off the coast of Angola; 

 the creature threw its arms across the vessel, and 

 had nearly succeeded in dragging it down, and 

 was only prevented doing so by the severing ot 

 its limbs with swords and hatchets. A diligent 

 observer of nature has asserted that in the Indian 

 seas Cuttle-fish are often seen two fathoms broad 

 across the centre, with arms nine fathoms long. 

 Only think, what a monster ! with a body twelve 

 feet across, and eight or ten legs like water-snakes, 

 some six-and-thirty feet long. Well may it be said, 

 that the Indians when they go out in boats are in 

 dread of such, and never sail without an axe for 

 their protection. 



There is a story told by a gentleman named 

 Beale, who, while searching for shells upon the 

 rocks of the Bonin Islands, encountered a species 

 of Cuttle-fish called by the whalers "the Bock- 

 squid," and rashly endeavoured to secure it. This 

 cephalopod, whose body was not bigger than a 

 large clenched hand, had tentacles at least four feet 

 across, and having its retreat to the sea cut off by 



